


Ultimate Weapon

by herbiecide



Category: Hong Kong 97, RWBY
Genre: Chinese Communist Party, Crack, Gen, HappySoft, Includes Chinese Language, Other, no really this is just a meme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-23 12:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herbiecide/pseuds/herbiecide
Summary: The disappearance of a promising huntress by the name of May Zedong pulled the heartstrings of people all around the 4 kingdoms…  Two years after, an experiment gone horribly wrong is about to make a second one vanish from Remnant. But this Sun Dragon is not gonna go down without making a name for herself first…
Relationships: Yang Xiao Long & May Zedong





	1. Arc 1, Chapter 1: Dead Between the Eyes

Oscuro Academy - 8 AM

“Alright! Today is a special day. You and your teams are to be taken out beyond the academy into the far reaches of the desert. Your goal is to get back here within two days! If you fail, you will be permanently expelled! Everyone understand?!”

“Yes sir!” come the cries of 5 sets of 4 huntsmen and huntresses. They are used to this kind of thing, as this is the third mission of this type this year. None know this more than third-year team BRNZ, who is at the top of the class. And the reward for being on top? …Being sent on more missions.

This is how it’s done in Vacuo. You are pushed to your limit again and again, and in the end, you are supposed to come out as a premiere huntsman. It works… most of the time. But sometimes it doesn’t and people get lost along the way. They are quickly replaced, however, as there is no room for mourning around here. The cemetery, if you would call it that, are just a collection of bodies that are barely concealed by sand, no gravestone or anything.

Hopefully no one gets added to that collection on this go-around. BRNZ has had several brushes with death before, but that doesn’t really help too much. Not with all the crazy shit that could go down in the desert. As they ride on a bullhead to an undisclosed location, they stand together, as tight-knit as one can be in these parts.

But this does not mean they are merely generic beings with no face. Brawnz Ni, the leader of this ragtag group, is a very popular student in Oscuro. He even has a clam to fame from single-handedly fighting off a Lancer during his second year.

Roy Stallion and Nolan Porfirio are also accomplished in their own right.

But none quite reach the heights of May Zedong. Her ability with a sniper is the stuff of legends, rumored to be able to collapse an entire building with one shot. But what really makes her special is her persona. She is extremely lovable, especially with that beanie resting over her head, hiding the left of her twin bluish eyes. It’s not like she lost it either, she just likes it that way. And that self-confidence, combined with her status as a top fighter before even getting a chance to enter Shade, makes her one of the most popular figures in all of Vacuo.

She occupies a special place in Vacuan hearts, with many people watching her progress, cheering her on from their own homes. Some go much, much wilder than that, with shrines dedicated to her, and even a countdown until she tu-

Oh! The bullhead has finally stopped in the desert. That’s too bad, because I really wanted to explain in full, graphic detail about all of thos-

“WOAAAAAAH!”

They all get flung out of the bullhead in random directions. They better have Aura for this, as there is no one with a javelin coming to save you if you don’t.

*oomph*

That’s May, now stuck in the sand. She quickly works her way out of it with a nice, satisfying *POP*, and the first thing she does is scan around for something, anything other than the monotonous orange of sand grains. But nothing is there. She walks around for a few minutes and finds a peculiar rock formation, with rocks aligned in a circle, except with one piece missing. It would make a decent spot for cover, and definitely would make it easier to see if someone with the power of flight comes around…

She hunts for the last rock, just to complete this circle. She barely makes it 20 feet away before her left foot hits a rather hard edge. That’s gotta be it! She dusts the area off, and yep, that rock looks perfectly sized for this little demonstration. Rock in tow, she sets it down, completing the circle. Success! Now to properly get some bearings, and maybe a sense of direction. She looks around, and just begins to see a flash of grey before the sand falls out from under her.

May falls for a while. A really long while. After almost 30 minutes of being trapped under the embrace of gravity, it suddenly gets ungracefully terminated. She blacks out, for now just a lifeless bag of meat in the middle of an unknown land. A mysterious figure notices this bag, and is stuck on what to do. Her jacket is two-toned, red and white. The red is a perfect match for the star that is on the hat of this figure. With that fact presumably in the back of his mind, he decides against just leaving her. He lifts her up completely flat, and carries her away from the outside, quickly disappearing into a large building.

\------------

Beijing, People’s Republic of China - September 9, 1976

(A/N: The Chinese that will be shown here is merely the English text thrown through Google Translate. With few exceptions, only spoken words will be shown in Chinese. I make no guarantees as to its accuracy. If someone who knows Chinese notices a mistake, I will be glad to correct it.)

Many of the highest ranking officials in the CCP are currently in an agonizing wait. Chairman Mao’s health has been on the decline for years, but this most recent incident is the worst one yet. This heart attack has rendered him bedridden, and even his personal physician, Li Zhisui, expressed an abnormal level of concern. Now he is in the hospital, where he has been since noon yesterday. Li left with Mao at that time, and has not returned. It’s now past 3 AM, and no one in the room dares to sleep, lest they miss important news about his condition. Even if they wanted to, the thoughts of both Mao and the future of China are so loud inside their brains that sleep could never come.

A knock is heard on the door. It is opened by one of the official guardsmen, and its Li! This is the moment everyone has been waiting for!

关于毛主席的消息吗？(Any news on Chairman Mao?)

…

回答我，李。(Answer me, Li.)

他死了。 (He’s dead.)

Everyone in the room is in shock. They really shouldn’t be, because Mao is bedridden and in very bad health, but that seems to mean nothing to the people in the room.

...谢谢你，李。 (...Thank you, Li.)

The person turns to one of the other officials in the room.

华国锋，你现在是董事长。 您有责任在接下来的几天内进行官方州事件。(Hua Guofeng, you are now chairman. You are responsible for carrying out the proceedings during these next few days.)

The official returns to his normal position. Most people are either neutral, or still in shock at the news, but four particular ones have an annoyed look on their face…

\------------

????, Vacuo

Brawnz Ni has reunited with his other team members. It has been several hours since they were cast away in this desert, and night is soon going to fall. He and his team members desperately search around for her. They’ve been over countless sand dunes, many, many miles of flat ground, and even fought off several Grimm that have been going around trying to surprise people. But the sniper still does not reveal itself.

“May! Can you hear me!”

As with the last 12 times, there is no answer.

He comes across a rock formation that is a perfect circle. In a fit of rage, he kicks at one of the rocks, knocking it out of place. It scurries several feet before settling itself inside the sand, with only the very tippy top of it peeking out into the reddening sky.

“We have to set up camp Brawnz! It’s getting too late!”

“No! We have to find her!”

Roy could be offended at that huge dismissal, but he isn’t. It pained him to say those words. He misses her just as much as anyone.

“I know! And we will. But we have to stop eventually! You can’t stay up all night searching for her, you’ll die out here.”

Brawnz knows he is right. But his instincts as leader yearn for him to keep searching until he finds her, no matter what it takes.

He turns to go search some more, but Roy forcefully grabs his arm.

“We’ll search for her tomorrow. Let’s go, Nolan and I already set up camp.”

Brawnz can see in his eyes that he wants to search for her too. But the soul-crushing reality of life in the desert forces their hand.

“...Alright. Lead the way, Roy!”

Roy drags them over toward camp. He really, really hops that May is just hiding under the sand somewhere, or, better yet, playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek. Those thoughts and the thoughts of sleep battle in his mind as they both slowly make their way through the sand...


	2. Arc 1, Chapter 2 - Hairy Crossings

The blackness slowly begins to recede in two directions. Replacing it is the bright sun, followed immediately by the same orangish sand that has plagued them all for the past 24 hours.

Brawnz stretches his arms out, and begins to look around. His eyes become more and more frantic as he remembers yesterday. The irises move around everywhere, but neither of them can find the one thing they are searching for.

He sighs so powerfully, so distastefully that it wakes the other men up that are stuck with him in this reality.

“Whew! How long was I out?”

No answer. All of their sleeps were cut short because of this tragedy, each only getting around 5 hours worth of shut-eye. And although he and Roy really do not like being woken up at 7 AM, they understand why. Brawnz is not going to let them get any more rest, no matter how much they yearn for it.

“Alright! Today we are going to look around and find her! Failure will not be acceptable! Nolan, hand me the rations!”

Nolan hands him a package of flatbread, which Brawnz eats in only three short and quick bites. There is also some coffee with this meal, but he chooses to save it for a more desperate time.

As soon as he finishes up the last of the crumbs, he flies off, ready to look for the desert sniper once again. The other teammates follow behind, with their energy growing higher and higher with every minute that passes.

And those minutes sure do go by fast. The sun slowly continues to creep up over them, like sand slowly traversing a curved hourglass. It reaches 10 AM with no fanfare. Noon goes by without a single acknowledgment. 2 PM flies through with more stealth than a security drone.

It’s now 4:30. The sun is back in their face again as it goes through its daily descent down below the horizon. Everywhere within a 5 mile area has been combed through with more precision than a lazer cutting through metal. But still, after all this trouble, there is still no reward. May has not appeared.

Everyone was thrown off the bullhead at just about the exact same time! There should be no way that they would be split up this far apart!

At this point, Brawnz has finally surrendered. Any more searching would imperil their ability to get back to Oscuro in time, and failing that might be the only punishment more distressing than losing a team member. But that is merely splitting hairs, as tears fall down from his eyes all the same.

Nolan and Roy realize what this all means, and they break down too. If there is one good thing about the infinite desert, it is that, unlike the rest of Vacuo, here, the only things that see you cry are grains of sand.

The sand is all too happy to absorb their tears.

The camp is packed up, everyone grabs their few possessions, and all three of them regretfully turn their back to the disturbed sand grains, instead forcing themselves to tread the long, painful journey back home. There will be no evidence of their plight, no footprints, no trash, not even the tears they shed will last longer than a few days out here. If they are lucky, a lone hair or two may survive for longer. But, barring the miracle of all miracles, that will be all that remains.

The long march to the academy is done in pure silence. No one has the energy to speak, as it takes all of their effort to continue their journey home. After one and a half days of torture, the academy finally distinguishes itself from the sandstorm. There the headmaster of this club waits, ready to give a true, honest congratulations to anyone who makes it back here in one piece.

He notices them almost immediately, and beckons them over with welcoming arms. This seems to give a jolt to the three stragglers, as they quicken their pace.

“BRNZ. Congratulations for surviving this brutal mission. As expected from the highest-graded team in this class.”

Only now does the headmaster notice that one is missing.

“Where is Ms. Zedong?”

Brawnz, Roy, and Nolan can only respond with more silence. The headmaster knows what this means.

“I am sorry for bringing up any bad memories. All of you pass with flying colors. You may go back to your dorm now.”

The three barely have the strength in them to nod as they file into the dorm.

A door is slammed shut, and the sounds of crying can be heard from several rooms away. But no one dares to do anything about it.

The few remnants of her that survive: her scroll, some snack food, and a private journal, are zipped up in a bag, and put in a corner. They even give it some flair, using her pillow and hammock to create something that looks like a sniper’s observing spot. One extraneous barrel, and Vacuan flag later, the impromptu memorial is complete. Even when she is replaced by someone else, there will always be a piece of her in here.

\------

Unnamed Military Barrack, Beijing - 6:00 PM

The soldiers in this barrack are just now returning from a long day of training drills, Maoist indoctrination, and the occasional game of basketball. The meal today is something that is a little bit unique by PLA (People’s Liberation Army) standards: Pork with green peppers, eggplant soup, and rice.

This is one of the most popular meals for the army, certainly better than the rations that they have to deal with. One of the regiments, the 103rd Infantry Division, sits at its own table. But the most senior person of this group is missing. The others have already sat down, talking amongst themselves about the hot topic of the week: The Death of Mao.

毛泽东去世令人难过，他是一个非常能干的领导人。(It is sad that Mao has died, he was a very capable leader.)

是的，他是。全中国都会想念他。(Yes, he was. All of China will miss him.)

我希望政府能够在过渡时期幸存下来。(I hope the government will survive the transition.)

我希望我很快得到提升！(I hope I get a promotion soon!)

Laughing takes over the table for a bit.

为什么我们的领导人还没到呢？ 这猪肉真好吃。(Why has our leader not come yet? This pork is really tasty.)

也许他被他的上司带去讨论一些事情。(Maybe he was taken by his superior to discuss something.)

Just then, a door opens. It is none other than the 103rd Infantry Division leader, holding in his arms what looks like a small girl, standing no more than 5 feet tall. But what catches the eye of everyone in the barrack is her look. It is not even close to the PLA uniform, or even traditional Chinese clothing.

As several chopsticks clink inside bowls, everyone is glued to the scene. He talks with some of the staff, and after a quick conversation, he leaves the cafeteria entirely, with her in tow.

Conversation begins to resume, but before anyone of the 103rd can speak, one of the guards from earlier walks up to one of the members.

您是与领导者共处的人，对吗？(You are the one that lives with the leader, yes?)

是的先生。(Yes sir.)

她现在是你们俩的责任。请给他吃午饭。(She is in the care of you two for right now. Get his lunch for him please.)

An empty bowl is set down right next to his own.

不要让他等待太久。(Do not keep him waiting too long.)

The infantryman quickly finishes off his meal, fills up the empty bowl, and rushes into the living quarters.

As soon as he is gone, the other soldiers start up again.

您认为这是他个人的 “秘书” 之一吗？(Do you think it is one of his personal **“secretaries”**?)

****

****

还能是什么呢？他拿起一个非常有趣的一个，这是肯定的。 (What else could it be? He picked a really interesting one, that’s for sure.)

****

****

More laughter comes from the table as they finish up their meal.

****

****

Meanwhile, back in the living quarters, the soldier is rushing back to his area, with the pork and noodles barely staying contained within the bowl.

****

****

Footsteps are heard quite easily as he approaches the room, seeing the officer first, sitting in a chair.

****

****

先生，这是您的饭。女孩好吗？(Here is your meal, sir. How is the girl?)

****

****

谢谢你。那个女孩还好，她在床上休息。(Thank you. The girl is okay, she is resting on the bed.)

****

****

He looks over and sees the girl laying on the bed, clearly breathing, but with no movement whatsoever.

****

****

我希望她很快醒来。这顿饭令人满意吗？(I hope she wakes soon. Is the meal satisfactory?)

****

****

The commander finishes taking a bite of the pork with his chopsticks and sets them down.

****

****

它是。做得好。(It is. Great work.)

****

****

您会在餐桌旁重新加入我们吗？(Will you be rejoining us at the table?)

****

****

He considers for a moment. There is more military drills coming up after this, so nothing is likely to happen to her while he and the rest are gone. God forbid a rape occur, especially to someone under his protection. If that comes to pass, he is almost certain to be kicked out of the PLA, and forced to return to a life of farming.

****

****

我会在那里的时候了。愿毛主席保护这个女孩免受来世的伤害。(I will be there right away. May this girl be protected by Mao from the afterlife.)

****

愿毛主席保护这个女孩免受来世的伤害。(May this girl be protected by Mao from the afterlife.)

****

****

They both rejoin their comrades at the table. Thoughts of her are pushed to the back of everyone’s mind for right now, as the second piece of military drills approach… This one is a march dedicated to Mao.

****

Oh joy, I so want to tell you all about… *zzzzzzzz*

****


	3. Arc 1, Chapter 3 - Storage Crisis

Headmaster’s Office, Oscuro Academy

Several thoughts are duking it out in the mind of the Headmaster. What to do is not up for debate, the question is how fast does he set this off? The disappearance of May can not be kept a secret for any useful length of time, as people are inevitably going to ask where she has gone by tomorrow at the latest.

But does he tell the leaders at Shade now? Is it worth more to wait to be the damage control, or to officially break the news? Doing this wrong could cause a firestorm aimed squarely at his head, and with the way Vacuans are combined with how popular May is… Let’s just say that’s not a good recipe to ensure his survival.

But waiting also lets someone else define the narrative. They’re more likely to just consider her as just a passing news item, another casualty on the ever-growing list. That would be the worst possible outcome.

With that risk in mind, he picks up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey Theo. We’ve had another Code Yellow.”

“Unfortunate. I wish you and your academy better luck in-

“No, no. this one is the mother of all Code Yellows.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. She’s gone.”

“...*sigh* I’ll get the news network on the line. You better have a plan.”

“Of course.”

The call quickly ends. Now all he can do is sit and wait…

A short time later…

Most every TV in Vacuo is currently on the premier #1 TV program, _The Town With No Name._

“ _Alright boys! Take ten paces up the street, then turn and shoot!”_

_The main protagonist is facing off against Nasty Ned, one of the most feared criminals in the whole town._ _They have settled on a classic duel to determine who gets to li_ _v_ _e another day._

_They turn toward each other and fire! The protagonist has won!_

“ _Caramba, that really hurt. Ohh, I’m gonna fall over now so byeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”_

_As Nasty Ned collapses, he can finally go back to the saloon for his next tar-_

!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!

“The stealthy, lovable May Zedong has been reported as missing! She was last seen departing on a mission as part of Team BRNZ. With us now is the Headmaster of Oscuro Academy for some comments on this developing story.”

It cuts away quickly to said academy, where the Headmaster stands at attention. It is easy to see that this was set up with extreme haste, as the camera barely has him in focus, and is also slightly tilted. Those are being fixed as fast as possible, but it still is not ironed out when the headmaster begins to speak.

“No, you are not having a nightmare. The news report is correct. I have tried to locate her, but with no success. I have left Team BRNZ to themselves out of respect for their privacy. It is as hard of a time on them as it is for anyone. She will be deeply missed here at this school. As my final statement, I ask of you Vacuans to please, please do not lash out at anyone, especially her other team members. It is not their fault. Always keep her in your hearts!”

“We will have more on this story as it develops. But for now, that is all for the Vacuo Express. We will now return you to the regularly scheduled programming.”

And just like that, the cutaway is over, and _The Town With No Name_ returns to air. But few are watching now, as the entire kingdom recoils at the devastating news.

This quickly gets repeated all across the kingdom on many smaller news stations, even making the jump to other Kingdoms. Before long, almost everyone on Remnant had either seen or heard of  the sniper. 

Life at Oscuro is completely changed for the next 24 hours. The usual training and target practice is quickly cast away in favor of a circle of mourning and prayer. Only the great King of Vacuo, the one that saved their homeland from domination during the Great War, enjoys any higher level of respect than this one girl.

There is very little crying in this circle, but the sadness is still like a stake stabbing straight through the heart, keeping the mood in a permanent raincloud. If BRNZ wasn’t revered before this moment, they sure are now, not only getting  full support from every team underneath them, but even getting an offer  that was unthinkable just two weeks earlier...

Today it is Nolan’s turn to sort through the fan mail. On the first day, even the combined efforts of all three hunters weren’t enough to sort through it all. They were so overwhelmed that they had to request two days off from training to deal with this paper problem, which he was all too happy to oblige.

Luckily after those two days, it started to level off. They quickly got to the point where the three combined made quick work of the paper mess, and then they went farther, leaving only one guy behind to do the sorting. It is now Day 8 of that plan, and it is Nolan’s third trip through this horde.

‘Let’s see… yep. More fan mail.”

Almost all of it is messages of support and sometimes admiration, but so many have been sent that by this point only the first sentence is read. They quickly go into a pile, along with all the other letters, some merchandise that a scrupulous vendor started to sell shortly after her disappearance, and the many many cheap “Get well soon!” type cards.

However, there is one more pile that hasn’t been talked about just yet… the love confessions. Oh yes, those have come in too. Brawnz, as leader and the objectively most attractive of the three, has been getting most of the love, but Nolan and Roy each have a couple to their name as well.

Brawnz has been feeling out several of those. Maybe that is part of his coping mechanism? Who knows. Regardless, it seems to have had no success so far. Nolan just throws his out though.

On about the  60 th envelope, his hands feel a distinctly different texture, something completely different from the other 59. He looks down and sees the distinctive gold that lines every single edge. This one is important. He carefully opens it up and begins to read:

_Dear Team BRNZ:_

_We here at Shade Academy commend you for sticking together after the unfortunate tragedy of May Zedong’s disappearance. That shows extreme toughness and motivation, both highly regarded qualities of true huntsmen._

_With that, and your top performance during the first three years of your enrollment at Oscuro, we here at Shade are happy to extend an official offer to join us as an official team starting next year. We hope that you will find this opportunity enticing, and are willing to take the plunge. Although this is understandably a tough decision, we hope you make your choice quickly. The students would love to welcome you!_

_~Professor Theodore, Headmaster of Shade Academy_

Nolan looks at it again, seemingly making sure that it was not some sort of cruel prank, and handed it off to Brawnz.

“Do we go for it?”

Brawnz reads the letter, then hands it off to Roy.

He reads it, and even he does not have a strong reaction.

“Honestly, I’m not feeling it. It would be unfair to her, and the rest of the teams to get a leg up like this.”

“Yeah, it just doesn’t seem right. And besides, why can’t we enjoy an extra year at the top?”

Everyone agrees with that. So the letter is put into the fan mail pile.

And now we come full circle, right back to the Headmaster, the one who kicked off this entire chain. But now he has another problem to tackle: What does he do with the empty spot? The tradition, as it has been for decades, has always been to just replace them as fast as possible.

Originally, the Headmaster was just going to pluck someone off the street, but doing that is a bit… complicated now. If he says that the lucky guy/gal is being selected to replace May, there is a decent chance that they will just reject it outright. And the ones who don’t are probably… less than savory.

What makes things even more messy is the memorial that was set up. In one of the corners of the academy, there is now a gravestone dedicated in her memory, along with an ungodly amount of flowers spread all over it. And it’s popular too. Just this week there were 5 people who visited. And that’s with the “no trespassing” sign.

So just up and replacing her does not seem like the right option… Hold a contest?

Nah, that just seems too cheesy… and imagine the outcry from doing something like that…

The thoughts of Vacuans rising up against him force that little idea so far out of his mind that he can barely even remember thinking about it.

With no good options, he’ll just punt on this question for now. BRN works well as a fighting unit, and they will still easily make it through the rest of their time here with no problems. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler. That’s all this is. But I wanted a bit more non-Chinese stuff before I really went off the rails, the next chapter will be all up in there, deep in the annals of Communism.


	4. Arc 1, Chapter 4 - Storage Crisis II

起来( _Qǐlái!_ )！ 不愿( _Búyuàn_ )做( _zuò_ )奴隶( _núlì_ )的( _de_ )人们( _rénmen!_ )！  
把( _Bǎ_ )我们( _wǒmen_ )的( _de_ )血肉( _xuèròu,_ )， 筑成( _zhùchéng_ )我们( _wǒmen_ )新的( _xīnde_ )长城( _chángchéng!_ )！ 

The sharp yells of a military march would cause anyone to be roused from a slumber, even the heaviest of sleepers. Most of the time, this is no problem, as not a single soldier would dare be stupid enough to try to sleep when something like this is going on. And that, of course, is making a big, **BIG** assumption that something like that would even be possible.

But things are different today. For something other than the occasional annoying insect rests within earshot of the marching. But she is not conscious right now. Lucky for her, it would be a trouble and a half dealing with the noises of-

*cough cough*

Well crap. It would have been really, really nice to get through that. The 15 year old begins to slowly move, her mind trying to figure out just what the hell is going on.

“Brawnz? Did we make it back to the dorm?”

But this definitely isn’t the dorms. Her eyes try to focus on what she is seeing, and, unbelievably, it comes into perfect clarity. The faded maps of China, made in 1953 to show off the annexations of Tibet and displaying Taiwan as just another province, is perfectly readable, despite being Chinese.

A poster of many, many people holding a red book that says “We warmly welcome the victory of the 4th National People’s Congress” is digested without missing a beat.

The confusion that initially held sway when looking at the living quarters has completely vanished. Now it seems perfectly normal.

There is only one explanation for this bizarre display. But just how the fuck did this happen?

Well, Mao was raised in Buddhism, but he ended up rejecting it once he became an adult.

And something tells me the Buddha was not too happy about that…

He’s got the power of reincarnation up his sleeve. And look who just passed away! That’s right, our favorite Chinese communist, Mao Zedong. This really should be one of the easiest decisions in the world.

He reincarnated Hitler as a sterile mosquito in Argentina, so what could he reincarnate Mao as? Does he pull the classic “ant” trick? How about the last member of a dying species? He turns his head slightly and notices a new object in this plane of existence - a string.

Why a string? Isn’t this realm supposed to be reserved for gods? Even the Buddha is struck curious by this. He pulls the string. Nothing happens.

…

…

Well, he could always just send him to-

Right then, interrupting that thought, a new thing enters his memory. What surprises him the most is the look of it. Why does it have a beanie covering its eye? What is that thing she is holding? None of the gods in this realm could ever hope to answer any of those questions…

But the Buddha has an idea. A very, very clever one. Why not stuff Mao into here? A leader of many, many men reincarnated into possibly the most un-leader like human he can think of right now? Is that a human? The hilarious contrast of the two personalities makes him chuckle a bit, pushing that question out of his mind. The last time that happened, the Ganges almost dried up.

And thus it was done. Back to the nothingness plane.

\------

After many hours spent “singing” along to some of the most Mao-Supportive messages that the military has on offer, The two soldiers finally return to the living quarters, after some more dinner, of course.

这些面条肯定是好的，不是吗？(Those noodles sure are good, aren’t they?)

是的，他们非常好。几乎和湖北的面条一样好！(Yes, they are very good. Almost as good as the noodles back in Húběi!)

他们仍然无法击败 \- (Still doesn’t beat the-) The lower-ranked soldier stops as he turns into the room.  The girl from earlier has stood up, and is now currently reading just about every single thing that there is.

He watches for about 20 seconds. His superior joins him, looking over his shoulder. They both are glued to the scene. They both thought she would either still be out, or scared in a corner somewhere.

#924355

小姐？ ( Miss?)

它是什么？(What is it?)

The same thought enters both of their minds at once: How the hell can she speak Chinese? The superior starts the process of getting a proper answer.

我很高兴你已经醒了。您需要什么吗？ (I am glad you woke up. Do you need anything?)

我饿了。我可以吃点东西吗？(I am hungry. Can I get some food?)

我们现在所拥有的只是口粮。(All we have right now are rations.)

那将是可以接受的。(That will be acceptable.)

He pulls out a ration and gives it to her. He uses this time to study her more, not having a chance to do so before because of the bizarre circumstances in which they met. What jumps out at him immediately is the weapon she is holding with a death grip. It looks like a gun, but nothing that he has seen in the military before.

The ration is gone before he can even begin to think anything else. She really must have been hungry.

好吧。现在，尽快将我带到您排名最高的成员。(Alright. Now bring me to your highest-ranking member as soon as possible.)

那是不可能的。 你是在我们今天的照顾。(That is not possible. You are in our care for today.)

好吧，我自己去做！(Fine, I will go do it myself!)

She rushes out of the room. The two soldiers quickly share mutual looks of “What the fuck just happened?” before rushing after her.

That 15 year old is so goddamn fast that they can barely keep her in their sights as they give chase.

She eventually stops at a person who not only has many pockets in his uniform, but even some medals on the front, almost certainly obtained from fighting in either WW2 or in Korea.

不好了。 这是第二把手。 这个不好。(Oh no. That’s the second-in-command. This is not good.)

作为您的领导者，我命令您将我转交给上级指挥部！(As your leader, I order you to direct me to the high command!)

The soldier doesn’t even flinch.

赶快去做吧！ 我需要与中央政治局联系！(Do it with haste! I need to be in contact with the Politburo!)

The soldiers earlier non-response has been replaced with an ungodly laugh.

哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！这些都是给你一些大的话，年轻的姑娘。 (Hahahahahahahaha!  Those are some big words for you, young girl.)

我是毛泽东！ 您的光荣领袖！ 您将立即将我送回政府办公室！(I am Mao Zedong! Your glorious leader! You will send me back to the government office at once!)

哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！ 你让我开心！ 但是，你必须返回到您指定的生活空间了。 ( Hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha! You have made my day! But you must return to your assigned living space for now.) 

Just then, he sees the two that are supposed to be overseeing her.

你们两个很幸运，她很搞笑。 现在带她回来！ (You two are lucky that she is hilarious. Take her back now!)

They both jump on her. With May not expecting it, she is quickly subdued before she can try to break out. Realizing that she can get nowhere right now, she surrenders herself and lets the two walk her back.

那两个肯定选择了一个狂热者！ 哈哈哈哈哈！(Those two sure picked a fanatic! Hahahahaha!)

Back at the living quarters, both soldiers are almost to collapse after taking care of that whole situation from earlier.

Their brains are rattled, but the superior’s especially so.

你为什么要这么做！ 我们不是要伤害你！(Why are you doing this! We’re not here to hurt you!)

这和你无关。 这和我有关！(This has nothing to do with you. This has to do with me!)

你不是毛！ 他几天前死了！(You are not Mao! He died a few days ago!)

你错了！我需要证明自己，这样我才能再次领导中国人民！(You are wrong! And I need to prove it to lead the Chinese people once again!)

不，你不是。(No, you aren’t. And even if, by some insane miracle that would be crazier than Taiping, you were, there is no way that you will ever get that chance. [this sentence had no acceptable translation])

您是说您不相信自己的领导者吗？(Are you saying you don’t believe in me?)

你怎么认为？(What do you think?)

May turns her back to the both of them and goes silent.

现在怎么办？(What now?)

我希望你有个主意。(I was hoping you had an idea.)

我的意思是，我们不能只将她踢出去...对吗？(I mean, we can’t just kick her out… right?)

我们可以，但我们会得到的，因为精神失常疯丫头处罚。(We could, but then we get punished because of an unhinged crazy girl.)

你是说你宁愿被困在所说的女孩附近吗？(You are saying you would rather be stuck near said girl?)

Before he could attempt to respond, two guards come up and take her from the room.

Both want to come up with a funny quip, but neither of them have the mental strength to actually do it. Instead, they both simply collapse onto the floor, hoping that this was just a very weird dream that they are about to be zapped from.

_Meanwhile…_

The guards are tired as all hell. They’ve already been through all the military drills and all of the extra things required to be a guard. And then some cruel deity just decides to plop down some girl to cause even more trouble.

There’s no attempt to hide that annoyance as they take said girl up to their own superiors. May’s feet are dragging like rocks. The inside of the living space turns into an outside area, before quickly turning back around into another generic room.

This next one undergoes a gradual turn, with more and more propaganda posters making themselves known on the walls with each passing step. Although they taper off after a short while, the atmosphere is already set. The guards finally reach something that looks like an interrogation room, and put May down in the only chair available.

The guards then take their standard positions beside the door, almost as if nothing had changed.

May just sits and stares at the wall, knowing that there is no way for this to go any faster. The next few minutes pass slower than a dead tortoise, the minute hand on the clock almost seeming to freeze. Like ice, that frozen-ness seems to spread everywhere.

One person comes in to shatter it: Wang Hongwen, current vice-chairman of the Politburo. He sits down opposite this girl, clearly struggling to maintain his composure at the sight of her.

你为什么自称是毛主席？ 您知道这种假冒行为的惩罚吗？(Why do you claim to be Chairman Mao? Do you know the stakes of this impersonation?)

我不是在冒充！ 我是毛！(I am not impersonating! I am Mao!)

不，你不是。 我有他的身体就在这里！(No you are not. I have his body right here!) He then produces the body of Mao himself, touching it just for dramatic effect.

像冰一样冷！ 自己感觉这个男人！(Cold as ice! Feel him yourself!)

May does so and feels the same ice cold as Wang did.

那可能是他的身体，而不是他的思想！ 毛现在在和你说话！(That may be his body, but not his mind! The mind of Mao is speaking to you right now!)

哦真的吗？ 证明给我看。(Oh really? Prove it.)

为什么，当然，同志！我亲自签署了您的正式选举文件！ 现在让我们比较签名。递给我一支笔，如果你愿意。(Why of course, fellow comrade! I personally signed off on your official election papers! Let us compare signatures right now. Hand me a pen, if you please.)

Wang reluctantly gives her the pen.

May then carefully pens the signature of Mao Zedong with perfect accuracy, so perfectly that forgery can be ruled out entirely. But it has to be checked first.

Wang takes this signature and goes out of the room for a while. May can only just wait for the inevitable.

Wang goes back to a familiar room. Inside is Hua Guofeng, freshly-minted leader of China, along with many of the same high-ranking officials from the leader coronation a few days earlier. He ignores them all, however, and looks inside a drawer for various documents. Finding one that is satisfactory, he holds up the pieces of paper next to each other.

**An exact match.**

这是不可能的！(This is not possible!)

你在说什么？(What are you on about?)

这个女孩没有撒谎！(The girl is not lying!)

你是说那个声称自己是毛的女孩?！ 你喝太多了吗？(You mean the one that claimed she was Mao! Did you have too much to drink?)

我希望我喝得太多……但是自己看看这些。(I wish I did… but look at these yourself.)

One of the members does the comparison and comes to the exact same conclusion.

He hands it off to another, who does the same thing, and gets the same result.

Eventually, Wang gets both the papers back. Silence overwhelms the room.

...我们该怎么办？(...What do we do with this?)

No one has an answer. They can’t install a weird 15-year-old girl looking thing as leader of China. The whole country would immediately break out into revolt. And just imagine the state visits!

But they can’t just kill her either… it is now 100%, unequivocally, Mao Zedong in the body of that girl.

我们将把他放在一个特别的房间里。 这是我们所拥有的最好的折衷办法。 政治局其他成员将定期向他咨询国家事务。(We will keep him in a special room. It’s the best compromise we have. The rest of the Politburo will periodically consult him on state matters.)

The rest all nod at Hua’s plan. She is carried over to a special room and officially freed of all restraints.

好的，主席。 你的故事是真的。 如您所知，华将继续担任官方领导人。 他将很快与您见面讨论事情。 希望您能继续为中国提供更多帮助… (Alright, Chairman. Your story is true. As you can probably understand, Hua will remain as official leader. He will meet with you soon to discuss things. I hope you can continue to help china for decades more…)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I did just write a 2000 word chapter mostly about 1970’s Chinese politics. Trust me, there is a reason.


	5. Sun-Kissed

It has been two years since May vanished off the face of Remnant. No one is left unknowing of this disaster by now, especially after the great search efforts organized by some particularly distressed Vacuans. The ragtag group of volunteers, initially numbering only around 6, quickly grew into the dozens as more and more people joined the prowl. It was so extensive that the entirely of Sanus was quickly mapped out in almost terrifying detail. But, of course, these efforts were all for naught.

Even Patch did not escape those tendrils. The memories of May, and the shock upon hearing of her disappearance floods back to everyone there when the search party made it over. Productivity went down that day. But even that Is long, long past now. Now the topic on everyone’s mind is the 40th Vytal Festival, which begins tomorrow. The seedings have already been decided, with team RWBY up against, you guessed it, Team BRN(z). BRN has only become stronger since that fateful day, easily cruising through the last year at Oscuro, and joining Shade without a hitch. Almost every Vacuan is cheering for them, and even many unaffiliated watchers from other kingdoms are eager for the upset.

But that’s for tomorrow. Today, they are both currently in Vacuo, on their way to the May Zedong memorial. None of RWBY has even been in Vacuo before, even Blake, whose White Fang days never took her over into Vacuo. They had others for that. Regardless, no one in the kingdom pays any mind to these new arrivals. Especially with BRN acting as their protectors.

The septuplet slowly meander along through the sand into Oscuro proper, with many students looking out the window, waving their arms to greet them. But they are not going into the academy directly, for on this trip they go to a small corner. Well, it used to be small. Now the monument stands over 20 feet high, taking up several hundred square feet. Flowers (well, the few that can survive) and various cacti like the base of this shrine, with several clones of May’s famous sniper rifle standing about 6 inches above her headstone which reads:

_May Zedong_

_AP 63 – AP 78_

_This sniper is one of the most storied girls in the eighty-year history of Vacuo. Called The Queen of Stealth, she put several Grimm down in the ground with her excellence. Unfortunately the gods above had her in their crosshairs. She has forever tore a hole straight through our hearts. May she slay countless more Grimm in the afterlife._

_If one wishes to honor her, one should take a gun and shoot one single bullet straight into this target. Do not feel bad if you do not get a 10, May would never judge you._

WBY each grab a gun, and set themselves up for a shot. Ruby is looking over to Brawnz, seemingly wanting to ask a question. He knows what she’s asking. Just the way she is holding Crescent Rose does all the talking that he needs.

(brawnz)“Go on, Ruby.” Her face brightens as she sets her baby up.

“...She would have absolutely loved to see that…” He has to hold back tears, even despite the two years that have passed. WBY, who had finished by this time, all go to comfort him. The entire scene is complimented by the loud sound of a gun firing. There is now a large hole where the center of the target once was.

Nolan fills in to continue the tour as Ruby walks back, satisfied with her and her team’s performance on that target, all 10s.

“Alright. The last place we’re gonna go is the area around where we think she disappeared. Fair warning, it’s gonna get real sandy around these parts.” He then leads them back toward the main entrance, where a bullhead is already waiting. Yang walks up next to Blake, fiddling around on the top of her head, making sure that the bow is wound up extra tightly. All Blake does is smile before they both catch up with the rest of the crew.

25 minutes later, the bullhead drops them off in what looks like the middle of the desert. But instead of the unrelenting flatness that occupies most of this area, on this go-around there is a small ditch, wide enough for three people at once to walk through. Brawnz leads this crew down the trail that he has walked an uncountable number of times before. The rest follow behind with not a single complaint.

After three or four minutes of walking, the trail tapers off. Brawnz stops them here. Nolan and Roy come up beside him, and RWBY are right behind, themselves standing side-by-side.

“*clears throat* This is the area where she was supposedly launched when we started the mission together. After all the numbers were crunched, the circle where she would have been is about 3000 feet in diameter. We are standing in the center of it right now.”

The silence that follows is one that no one wants to break. Instead of talking more, Brawnz merely starts walking due north, and after less than a minute, a skinny pole comes into view, with the flag of Vacuo standing proudly at the top.

“We personally set up this flag here as soon as we could bear coming over here. It’s easily 100 feet deep, so there is no way it can fall over, no matter what this desert tries to throw at it.”

RWBY all solemnly nod.

“Every couple of weeks one of us goes back here, just to see if maybe, just maybe, she will reappear for us. Or at least find her body… If you would like, all of you can search as well. We will stay around here by this flag. The next bullhead doesn’t come around for another two hours, so no need to rush.”

RWBY does not move a single muscle. Ruby and Yang are the two that want to search around the most for her. Yang sees Blake and Weiss’s reluctance and gives them a nice little “nudge” to help make their minds up.

“C’mon guys! You two would do the same thing if Ruby was gone in her place, **right?** ”

The tiniest hint of red enters their eyes, almost daring them to say no. Neither of them are stupid enough to try their luck, so they both reluctantly follow.

“Alright! All of us split up! We’ve got a beanie girl to find!”

They all split into their own camps, Weiss and Blake going east, with Ruby and Yang going west.

“Alright Rubes. I’m gonna go north a bit, you go south. Do you know what not to do with them sharp “cactus” things around here?”

Of course she does. It’s not like she’s heard this at least three times a day since this whole trip was scheduled or anything…

“Yes, Yang, don’t touch them.”

“Alright, now go look for her! Don’t get yourself buried!”

Ruby is already gone. She continues to look down her way for a while, with that classic sisterly smile all over her face. And dust too. Her semblance sure did kick up a lot of dust.

*cough cough*

After a few coughs, she begins her search. The sand remains as boring as ever. One area of sand turns into two, to three, to ten with nothing. Near the northwest corner of the search area, she notices some oddly-placed rocks. 5 of them are clustered in the center seemingly trying to form a “star” shape. (and failing), while four more stand around six inches away in some sort of half-circle.

Even though the symbol is completely meaningless, the fact that something moved these rocks in such a way piques her interest. She digs around, hoping to find at least something here. It’s the best idea she’s got. Her hands are completely full of sand as she continues to dig. There is no way there is not at least **something** here! She sees something very dark in color come through the sand and reaches for it.

_But the void reaches for her instead._

She falls into the void, and can only watch as the sand shrinks farther and farther away from her. In a last-ditch effort, she gets Ember Celica out and fires directly into the hole.

_Please, let someone see this…_

Now resigned to her fate, she continues to fall. The dark void gradually gets bluer and bluer as time goes on. She almost treats this like a skydive, turning to the ground and waving her arms out, prepared for the inevitable thud that awaits her.

_Back in Vacuo..._

Weiss is slowly walking back to the flag after having combed through her area. Made easy thanks to the insane versatility of Myrtenaster, almost all of the area has been combed through thanks to the clever use of earth dust. Of course, not a single thing revealed itself, but no one can say there wasn’t an effort.

She walks back with only the slightest look of disappointment when a bright light catches her eye. Her eyes turn and see the unmistakable form of Ember Celica’s flare rising up into the air.

Weiss starts to run towards it, but quickly thinks better as she realizes how far away it is. She hastily realigns her run toward the flag, checking her scroll while running in a desperate hope that service extends this far north. But the emptiness of the cell service indicator dashes it all away.

She wants to let it get to her, but the flag grows ever closer.

Weiss reaches the flag, clearly out of breath, and almost yells out what she saw.

”I saw Yang let off a flare! She’s in trouble!”

Brawnz's pupils grow to twice their size before he can serve up any response…

“WHERE?!”

Weiss points straight in the direction of the flare, causing all three of Team BRN to bolt over.

She quickly goes back north-east, desperately trying to find Blake and get her over there too.

It doesn’t take long, because she barely gets out of Brawnz’s sight before noticing the cat running toward the flag.

“You saw it too! Follow me, they already know!”

Blake turns to follow her, and her speed and agility allow her to quickly overtake Weiss in the race.

They move so blindingly fast that the race is over in less than a minute, with the pair coming in last despite the knowledge advantage. They both come up to see everyone huddled around a set of rock that seems almost completely randomized. In the center of said formation is some sand that radiates lots and lots of heat, so much so that it almost smokes like an overcooked steak. There’s no doubt about it, the flare came from here.

All six of them look at each other, their eyes asking the exact same question:

_What the fuck do we do now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this we go back to China. I don’t know when we will leave there, but I also know I can’t leave this thread cut off like this forever...


End file.
